Staircase to Heaven
by TNWanderer
Summary: Lelouch and Nunally try to find their way in an unknown land, learning the hardships of life all alone... Or so they thought. Will turn into an AU. SuzakuxLelouch and Nunally. No spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Staircase to Heaven**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this and don't make money from writing this.

**AN:** _Ever since I have seen the first picture drama of S1, I wanted to write something concerning Lelouch, Nunally and Suzaku's childhood. This fanfiction will begin from the point where Lelouch and Nunally see their new home for the first time, meet Suzaku, and will follow them during their times together. I am not sure where this will go, yet I will think about something along the way. But I am sure there will be no Geass. Hence, the events caused by it won't happen here._

_There will probably be some Shounen-ai in the beginnings which I plan to evolve into yaoi as the boys get older, but you'll wait for it, since I will have to formulate a plot for it :D_

_This first chapter is mostly the retelling of the events from the first picture drama of the S1..._

**Chapter 1**

Lelouch tried to relocate his sister's weight on his back to a more comfortable position to carry her more easily. His back was fine but his arms and legs were shaking no matter how much he tried to suppress the burning ache that strained his muscles.

Every single step he took upon the seemingly never-ending stairs his breath came raggedly and small drops of sweat were glistening on his pale face and neck. He was tired. He was so tired that all he could do was looking at his own steps, not daring to count them or look ahead to see how far he had to go.

At least his sister was asking questions to keep his mind off of the task he volunteered to undergo himself.

"A shrine?"

"Yes, it is the Japanese equivalent of a church, Nunally..." he rasped.

"Is the Pope the Emperor of Japan?"

Though he was crushed under the strain, he couldn't help uttering a small chuckle to his sister's sweet naivety.

"No, Nunally... Japan doesn't have an Emperor. The person who gets selected during an election becomes the Prime Minister. It is by coincidence that the Prime Minister Kururugi's personal residence is a Shinto Shrine."

She couldn't know, could she? She had lost her eyes and thus the means to learn from common methods all too early. Yet, she was not only blind but also her legs were crippled. Hence, he was carrying her on his back, not letting any of the Japanese guards to touch her who were sent by the Prime Minister. He stubbornly shouldered her weight, always reminding himself that he was enough to be her eyes and her legs whenever she needed him. She was all he had left, so he was not about to leave her to the care of the strangers in this stranger land that was so far away from their home.

"Onii-sama, are you alright? These stairs seem to be fairly long?" Her worried voice asked him near his ear.

Though his brow furrowed, he tried to lace his voice with aloofness to cover how tired and rasped it sounded.

"Oh, this is nothing, I can handle it..." He assured his sister with a smile in his voice and swallowed harshly. _If I can't do at least this much for you, then what am I good for?_

He stepped the old stairs with renewed vigor, holding her unfeeling legs under his arms more securely. Her tiny arms around his neck tightened a little bit in response as if to give courage to him and he smiled as the stairs slowly let him to a forest-like garden which was not well-kept and was let astray into the hands of the mother nature to do as She pleased with it.

He placed her in to her wheelchair that one of the guardsmen carried up and started to follow the men on the stony path that was obscured by untended lawn. Everywhere was covered with high trees and long forgotten pathways. It was not unpleasant to the eye, but Lelouch immediately understood that to where ever they were going, somehow it had to be away from the main residence of the Prime Minister.

After sometime they spent on the obscure stone pathways, they reached a clearing which was bordered by yet more trees; there he saw their new home.

Lelouch felt himself speechless. The place was a rundown small storeroom which was apparently not used for at least five years. The main door was of wood and ajar, baring the equally dark and forsaken state of the interiors. His heart clenched and involuntarily his eyes blurred with tears. He swallowed yet again, reminding himself that he had to be brave for his sister if not for himself.

The guardsmen placed their few luggage at the door and left them like that without a word. Lelouch didn't even spared them a glance. He knew... They were now alone in every sense that the word implied. A forsaken house for forsaken children... Their new home seemed like the embodiment of their fate.

"Are we there yet, Onii-sama?" Nunally's sweet voice interrupted his down spiraling thoughts. He gripped the handles of the chair tightly and started to wheel her into the house.

"A... Y-Yes... Nunally." And he quickly got frustrated with the way he sounded. He had to be brave... He had to be...

"What kind of a room is it? How is the new home for Onii-sama and I?"

_New home..._ A lump sank in his throat at the way how Nunally's voice held bright hope... Eyes, her eyes... For the first time after that event, Lelouch was somewhat glad that she was unable to see the wretchedness of the situation they were abandoned to... He could be her eyes, right? He could see what she wished to see, and he would carry the burden of seeing the truth by himself...

"It is a wonderful place..." He blurted, enthusiastically putting a smile in his voice.

"The walls are white as snow, and there are windows with flower decorations." He couldn't help but cringe as he lied to her deliberately. It somehow didn't feel alright even though he was lying for Nunally's sake.

"Sounds like Euphie Nee-sama's room..." She chirped, pleased.

"Yes... But it is a bit small." told Lelouch truthfully. "But, since it is only you and me, we..." He suddenly stopped, his ears catching the sound of soft pitter patters of foot steps on the second story of the storeroom. Who could be there?

"Who is it?" Lelouch asked, his voice quickly assuming an aggressive edge. "You over there, come out!"

"Don't speak so arrogantly!" Came an equally aggressive and challenging voice from above and a child clad in a traditional gray kimono and dark blue hakama slowly descended from the wooden stairs.

"This room used to be mine, after all..." Said the child with an air of superiority around him.

"Yours?" Lelouch looked up at the kid who regarded him with distaste, head held high.

"So the Brittanians are really shameless..." The boy remarked. "Do you intend to colonize Japan, too?" It wasn't a question, the boy spoke as if he was stating the obvious. Lelouch was momentarily at a loss of words, his mind not able to grasp why this boy knew who they were. Then it clicked as if a piece of puzzle falling into its place.

"Japan is trying to enforce dominance as well." Lelouch argued. "You enforce sanctions to the countries you deal with." He was not trying to defend Brittania, but the boy before him had to have thought so since he stood speechless for a few seconds, unable to counter his argument.

By now Lelouch's voice was devoid of its initial aggressiveness and he looked at the Japanese boy without any menace. To assert that he didn't approve either side's actions, he told,

"In this aspect, Japan and Brittania aren't very different from each other."

Yet, the Japanese boy didn't back down from his ground. "Lies!" He blurted, rekindling the baseless animosity between them.

"They are not lies!" Lelouch countered. "Try asking your father."

"You are a liar!" The boy declared. "What is this about the white walls?"

Nunally's small surprised gasp made Lelouch see red. He was... He was not a liar... Not like the adults who twisted their ways around a world of lies they created with their own hands... He was... Just for Nunally's happiness...

"Where are the decorated windows in this storeroom?"

"Stop it!" Lelouch shouted in alarm, without even thinking, he attacked to the Japanese boy intend on stopping him from further destroying the illusion he created for his sister.

But the boy threw a well aimed punch at his face in an instant, making Lelouch collapse at his feet breathless. It was not hard to figure out that he was no match for the boy as he sprawled on the dirty dusty floor trying to get up.

Yet, that didn't seem to cool down the anger of the boy and he continued to kick Lelouch without holding back, not letting him to regain his footing.

"How is that, you Brittanian bastard? Don't look down on the Japanese!"

Lelouch's already tired body strained itself against the abuse as he tried to shield himself from the blows which hurt like hell. This was the first time he experienced bodily humiliation but despite himself he shouted,

"S-stop it!" But blows came down all the more forcefully, making him gasp for a tiny bit of air.

"You barbarian!" The boy was insulting, unaware of how his cruel kicks were proving him to be the real brute there.

"Please stop!" Nunally pleaded from her seat, grasping the armrests of the chair as if she was dying to stand up to go to her brother's aid.

"I don't know who you are, but I'll do anything you tell me..." She offered in urgency with tear drops shining on the corners of her eternally closed eyes.

The boy stopped, his interest quickly drawn to Nunally and felt surprised, realizing her situation for the first time.

"You...Don't tell me you can't see..." His voice betrayed a flicker of uncertainty and shame.

"Yes... So please don't be alarmed. I can't do anything... Whether it is fighting or running away. That's why..."

Lelouch felt sick upon hearing the surrender in her voice and he tried to get up to go for her. He was the big brother here, damn it... She... It wasn't meant for a little sister to defend her fallen brother.

But the boy was no longer a threat, he seemed completely baffled, shame and guilt written all over his face.

"Then..." He murmured, not knowing what to say as his fists trembled and his eyes darted around frantically.

"I- I am sorry!" He blurted and left the storeroom in a tottery hurry leaving Lelouch and Nunally to themselves as if running away from something.

"Onii-sama, are you alright?" Nunally asked, her body language screamed how agitated she was for being unable to stand up to go and help her brother.

"Onii-sama?"

Oh, it was so very hard to smile as if nothing had happened, just for making sure that Nunally didn't feel anxious for him.

"I am fine, Nunally. Don't worry for me. It was nothing serious." He assured her as he shakily got up from the ground not even bothering to dust himself off, for the was terribly bruised and every muscle in his body was screaming.

"Who was that person, he sounded like a child..."

Lelouch sighed and approached her to take her further into the house as best as he could.

"Most likely... Kururugi Suzaku... The child of the Prime Minister."

Nunally turned back and rested her hand on her brother's.

"He... What if he hurts you again?"

His eyes narrowing down, Lelouch held her hand tightly.

"Don't worry yourself with things like that... And... I don't think that he will ever come here again. His face was so troubled when he left here."

Nunally didn't tell anything and he stopped the chair in the middle of the room.

"I will bring in our luggage." He informed her and went out slightly limping. He took in the two packs with much difficulty but didn't even utter a single complaint. There were things to do for him before he could even dream of taking a rest. He closed the creaky old door and looked at the storeroom with a new eye.

"You must be tired, Nunally... I will arrange your bed for you to rest."

Nunally's head was bowed, her face seemed sad in the dim light of the room.

"Onii-sama... What kind of a place is this... _really_?" She asked causing his heart to sink.

"That boy... He said..."

Lelouch's hand went to the side of his face, unconsciously nursing his swelling cheek. His eyes shimmered with rapidly collecting tears as he remained silent.

"I don't care, Onii-sama." She whispered with determination. "Even if this place is the worst place on the whole world, I don't care... Since I know you are here with me, since I have you by my side, I don't care."

Lelouch quickly wiped the fallen tears from his face, hiding the fact that her sincerity could undone him so easily.

"So tell me Onii-sama, what kind of a place is this?" Lelouch went to her side, sitting on the floor. She quickly reached for him and without further invitation, Lelouch dropped his head on her knees. As her small fingers treaded among his black locks he found his voice.

"This is a two story storeroom, Nunally." His voice was that of a story teller's. Soft and comforting yet far away... "It seems that it was not used for a long time. Everywhere is covered with dust and dirt." Her fingers never ceased their soothing caress even though he choked on his words.

"There are boxes here and there, I will remove them or use them as tables. And there are two windows on our left and right. There is no illumination. It is dim here. I will ask for candles and lamps." He sighed. "I think we can use upstairs as our bedroom, I will look if there are beddings. Maybe I can even cook our own meals here, since there is an old chimney here on the left side. That Suzaku boy said that he had been using here before us, so I believe there must be a toilet and bathroom somewhere here, maybe upstairs..."

He stopped again fighting back his tears. This was so cruel. To treat two small abandoned children in this way was so cruel. Yet what did he expect? They were political hostages here, not guests of honor. Nevertheless, knowing that they were by themselves against a world where they knew simply nothing about, left into the mercy of the strangers was such a hard blow for Lelouch that his insides were burning with hatred and fury.

"So we are alone..." Murmured Nunally, uttering the painful truth.

"We have only each other." Confirmed Lelouch biting his lower lip.

"But I have my Onii-sama." Nunally smiled down at him and Lelouch felt that if there was anything left for to continue this hopeless struggle of theirs, then his life line was Nunally's smile. He would do anything for her smile to survive in this desolate place.

"Rest, Onii-sama. You must be hurting." She said affectionately.

"I will... Once I put this place into a little order."

And he got up from the floor, leaning into place a kiss on her head, earning a small giggle from her. This gave him enough energy and courage he needed. So he started to look around to get to know the place better.

Upstairs, he found two beddings that the Japanese called futons. They were comfortable enough and new. There was a box near the pile and he opened it to find a pair of blankets, sheets and small pillows. The bathroom and the toilet was upstairs as he guessed. The taps were working. There was a small window on the ceiling which opened to the sky, providing at least a small amount of illumination.

He went down the wooden stairs and they creaked under his steps. Nunally was following his every movement as he talked about what he found here and there, his voice trying to lift up the heavy feeling that surrounded them before.

There was a board under the flight of stairs, still accommodating some porcelain plates and glasses. In the further left end of the room, there was a table and a few chairs which seemed damaged. Across them was a washbasin and more cupboards with something seemed like a small kitchen island. And the chimney near them was placed high enough to cook and large enough to provide warmness in the winter.

Lelouch smiled heartily for the first time since they came in the house. The place was old, covered with accumulated dust and dirt, with torn spider webs and deserted unnecessary furniture, but it seemed like a place which was good enough to allow a small family to reside in. Maybe he couldn't provide Nunally with somewhere like their half sister Euphemia's room, but he certainly could turn this place into a home of sorts.

As Lelouch bubbled about what he would do first and then next in a voice full of hope, his sure foot steps echoing in the darkness around her, Nunally tried to hide her tears by quickly wiping them away with the back of her trembling hand. She was aware of everything, the way they were deserted by their family, the way that they were treated here... But, she knew she had to be strong for her Onii-sama, smile for him, encourage him, for he was the one who faced the harshness of the world in her place, too.

As she nodded her head to his quickly forming plans, she gripped her legs, hoping that the strength that was stolen from her in that incident was bestowed to her brother's heart.

She was a lucky little girl, for she had such a brave, strong, loving big brother...

_TBC..._

_-_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **_Sorry if I made you wait for a long time. But it was not because I had no inspiration, it was simply because I had no time to sit and write... __I hope you enjoy this twice as long chapter. _

_(And I thank my eight reviewers; each and every one of them made me smile.)_

_-_

**Chapter 2**

The forsaken storeroom at the backyard of the Kururugi Shrine was a cold place. Not because the night was cold or the beddings provided to them were insufficient. But... It was cold with an undertone of loneliness, helplessness and desolation that made its occupants shudder with a bone-deep sensation as if left in a frozen winter night.

One could hear the night wind howling through and around the old construction whole night. It was not cold, nor it was a severe wind, yet the way it hugged and crouched around the trembling walls made its current residents feel all the more lost and forsaken.

As the wind reverberated around them, Lelouch tried to hug his sister to his small chest more securely, more tightly. The wailing wind played with the tree branches around the house, making them creak and crack as if they were in some kind of agony. It was agitating to listen to their crawling noises as they brushed against the roof top and the back walls of the structure. Yet, as the evening left its place to the night, Lelouch found their constant company as a reminder of not being alone. Nature was with them, with its nocturnal noises all around him and Nunally, he actually didn't feel alone.

The way the darkness and voices of the night surrounded them could be frightening for any of the kids around his age, and Nunally was actually terrified. She refused to talk about it to her Onii-sama, yet Lelouch could feel the tension around her frail shoulders even while she was asleep in his arms. He appreciated her courageous attempt to ward of her own fears alone, but he knew she needed someone, other than Lelouch, to chase away the troubles of her darkened world. He was not an adult, he guessed he wasn't old enough for Nunally to make her believe that he could shoulder the responsibilities of being an adult for her, and give the comfort only an adult could offer. He could only offer his arms and embrace for her, yet he knew that his arms were short and weak, his embrace was small and a mere child's...

As he laid there, eyes wide open, in an insecurity he could not push to the back of his mind long enough to actually fall asleep, he thought that all the adults who should be now shielding them from the unknown the nature and the strangers of this land presented were all blissfully going by their own lives without paying much thought to the two small children's now fears and future insecurities. If being an adult meant forgetfulness, betrayal and ignorance, Lelouch thought that they could all go to hell. Even in his ten years of age, he was faring far much better than them.

Yet, his chest was aching. No matter how he tried to console his own frightened, more irrational child-self, he could still feel the lingering yearning to be within the secure walls of their own room back at the Pendragon Imperial Palace. The child in him, who refused to grow up with his mind, was still mourning the loss of his mother's adorable smile, his sisters Euphemia and Cornelia's warm hugs, his soft warm bed, the light supper they would indulge themselves whilst sharing smiles and jokes with them.

He couldn't help it when two warm tear drops slided down his cheeks onto the small pillow he was resting. For the first time, as long as he remembered, they had gone to bed hungry...

He had never been a capricious child, nor his sister was. They never refused eating even when they were in their most hurt and agitated state. They were never like those snob kids who thought wasting and skipping meals were a punishment of sorts to their adults. Yet there were somethings in life that people could automatically take granted. Eating was one of them. Lelouch bitterly realized that even the simplicity of putting something in one's mouth after a tiring day was a reward of sorts when the day finished. He was not deluding himself that what he missed was the company of his siblings and his mother at those meals; he missed them, dearly, heart achingly... Yet, what was worse and fearful than their absence was the cruel reality of not even being able to eat a warm soup or chew on a piece of bread...

_What is this feeling?_ He was asking himself as the wind continued to howl around them in the dark room.

He wiped away his tears, biting his lower lip. It was not like they were left here to famish and die, wasn't it?... Being sentimental over a missed meal was not like him. He knew that he had to be logical; one night without a meal in a crumbling, empty house was not the end of the world. There sure had to be a mistake, tomorrow would be better and he believed that even the most cruel of the hosts would offer the simple, small necessities to let them continue their life...

_What a life..._ His small fingers treaded his black locks that were spread on his pillow exasperatedly, the ends feeling damp with recently shed tears.

Nunally was not used to this. Hell, he had wanted to just literally fall before her feet and cry his heart out when she hadn't even uttered a word about how hungry she was. No one... No one had the right to make a small girl struggle to hide her hunger for food and warmth with smiles all around her face.

He knew his small frame was shaking with rage and it could wake her. So, Lelouch opted for petting her pale blond locks to collect himself. He sighed deeply. He was not after the pompous comforts of being a Royalty, his hatred and rage were not because of the loss of his everyday luxury. He never lived for them or because of them. Loneliness... Loneliness was the cause of the whirlpool of these emotions within his heart, and he knew loneliness would be his sole companion from now on.

Their soft beddings which he laid at the top of the old staircase, right under the roof window that opened up to the heavens, offered him a small warmth. From where he lay, he could watch the clear night sky, full of big shiny stars. Never in his life Lelouch had ever seen them this big and this close. He knew the darkness of the area made them seem close enough to grasp, bright enough to shed a small illumination, and huge enough to feel within reach.

His weary mind could easily provide an analogy that he had read in his favorite novels he had to leave back at home. The dark hour of this night was his heart, his feelings, his future, his despair... And those shining stars above were the beacons of hope he just had to see and build the courage to reach to ease his pain. It somehow, for a reason he couldn't grasp with his sleepy and tired mind, seemed tragicomic.

As his eyes closed without his consent against the emotional and physical torture he went through today, a fleeting thought registered in his mind. At the end of this well-worn wooden staircase, he had a handful of stars framed by an old, small window. Maybe, he could get used to this house, this life, as long as this small relief remained with him, for him... This creaky staircase that led to his personal heaven...

-

Kururugi Suzaku was a boy who acted before he thought. Tohdoh Sensei would always berate him for having such a short fuse. Countless times, both in school and in other places he had gone to, he ended up in trouble just because he took whatever other people said or done to insult him to heart. Bruised cheeks, bloodied lips or hurting fists and knees were common occurrences of his life. He knew very well that if he would stop and choose talking instead of using his fists, he could settle things more easily and peacefully.

Yet the other kids, regardless of his being the President's son, always picked upon him and angered him on things he admittedly couldn't quite clearly understand. The kids were probably listening to what their parents talked about in their house, namely what his father Genbu and the Senate were doing as they ruled the country on the border of an impending war. They took their parents' anger on him by either cruel words or harsh actions which generally resulted with their noses bleeding, bodies bruised and eyes swollen. The detention classes he took just because of these occurrences fed his rage, and by now he had memorized the berating he listened from his teachers, his Sensei, and his father by heart.

Not that Suzaku was a delinquent child who just did whatever he pleased, but he was simply furious about the things he couldn't change and couldn't correct. He was not one of those kids who thought that talking could solve problems – as he tried it many times and was proven as a useless tactic- and he didn't like using his martial art skills on _seemingly_ defenseless people, yet he couldn't help it when he was blamed for things he didn't do, he didn't understand, and feared from.

That violet eyed boy, who looked like a fragile girl, at the store room was just one of those kids he didn't understand and felt vary of the instant he looked at him. Those big eyes of that kid were so piercing, so sharp that he felt threatened by his presence that suddenly appeared in his life out of no where. He took away his room, where he played by himself, where he called his. That kid was from the enemy land, from an empire which threatened them with stealing their homeland from them, their liberty, their right to choose for themselves.

Yet... For the first time in his life when he listened to his Sensei's long monologue about how one should treat a guest, a guest who was alone in a stranger land, with an incapacitated sister, who didn't know how to defend himself from the harm's way... This time, in place of the rage towards his adults and the kids whomever he had beaten, he felt guilty and shameful. True, it was that violet eyed Brittanian who attacked him first, yet after the initial blow that landed on his pale face, even an idiot could see that the boy knew nothing about how to fight. He should have stopped long before that blond girl begged him to...

And that girl... It was no wonder why he felt like crap every time he remembered that she was both blind and crippled.

Though he knew who those kids were, where they had come from and what their purpose in coming to Japan; the anger rising from knowing these was easily subsided by the guilt he felt on simply lashing out at them in their probably most vulnerable state.

Now, that boy and his sister were lonely in that miserable storeroom and knowing that made him all the more self conscious about what he had done them on their first day away from home.

Those piercing violet eyes didn't let him rest. They were accusing him and truthfully, for the first time, an opponent made him feel like he lost their battle without even landing a punch on his face. And how he hated that feeling...

-

Morning came brightly, without even a trace of the howling wind of the night before.

Lelouch got up tiredly from the bed, tucking the still sleeping Nunally under the covers to start the day alone. Without making a noise he went out of the room and looked around. It was probably around eight o'clock or so, since the sun was still so low on the horizon and shone with a warm orange color.

What to do first? He knew he was hungry and needed to find someone to bring them a little food, but he didn't know this place and was vary of leaving Nunally behind to search around. He shrugged, hoping that at least a shrine priest or apprentice would come by before the noon to bring in something. He refused to think what would happen if no one came to his help.

He washed his face in the small sink downstairs and winced when his hands brushed against the bruises on his left cheek. That Japanese kid surely knew how to deliver a punch. He grimaced with the thought.

Looking back at the room, he remembered his plans about today. He had to clean up the place somehow if he wanted Nunally not to cough her lungs up due to the accumulated dust and dirt.

He searched for a bucket and some old clothes to use as mops. They were all readily available in the far end of the right corner, covered with old spider webs. There were three buckets, several mops and even two sweepers. He washed them meticulously and filled the buckets with water.

Opening the front door, he started by sweeping the rubbish around. It took some time to finish the base floor yet there were so many unnecessary boxes and useless furniture that he had to stop to move them outside to finish the sweeping. He huffed silently. Going to the far end of the left side, he decided to move out the useless chairs and the big table first. The chairs were easy, since they were light in weight, but the table was a problem. He had to drag the massive wooden thing on the floor to move it. He faced the door and began to push the table forward but his eyes caught a shadow standing in the door frame, looking inside.

Suzaku was standing before the fully ajar door with a wrapped up parcel in his hand. Huge, emerald eyes were silently watching him with a look akin to surprise and guilt. Though his green eyes betrayed a shy feeling as Lelouch looked at him, he neither uttered a word nor moved an inch. They just looked at each other, Lelouch subconsciously waiting for a snide retort or a violent reaction from the brown haired boy, Suzaku waiting for a dismissive remark and a hostile attitude.

As he eyed the other boy and waited for a response of any kind and seeing nothing, Lelouch lowered his gaze, assuming that the kid simply would stand and watch him. His initial spike of hatred and contempt draining away from his eyes and face, he opted for continuing what he was doing before and ignoring the boy.

Suzaku, unable to bring himself to say or do anything, continued to watch the black haired Brittanian kid as he struggled with the heavy table. The furniture made creaks and cracks as it was dragged across. Suzaku felt the noises echo in his chest without understanding the reason. He bit his lip. So the Brittanian decided to clean up the place. Yet it was apparent that he could never do it without help. He briefly wondered why no one had come prior to help with the cleaning, or cleaned the place before the arrival of these kids. It was apparent that this girlish, weak boy could not handle doing this by himself.

As his initial shyness and guilt ebbed away, replaced by a feeling of superiority when he understood that his strength could be of use, he placed the parcel he was holding at the front of the door and went to the violet eyed kid's side and started to push the table to the front with him.

Lelouch's eyes momentarily widened as he got what the Japanese kid was trying to do. He was not accustomed to call for the help of others, his pride didn't let him to do so even when he had been a rightful prince. So he thought of refusing this kid's help just to spite him, still feeling the force of his kicks and fists on his body. But... well, if the kid was willing to use his strength on something other than beating the crap out of random people, so be it.

The uncomfortable silence left its place to their laboring breathing as the boys took the table outside and continued to pull and push the boxes and rubbish one by one out of the house. Suzaku was strong, Lelouch admitted. With his help the removing only lasted for about fifteen minutes. His silent presence proved to be a soothing companion, though Lelouch would never admit it.

The scratching and dragging sounds eventually woke Nunally and she slowly pushed herself on her hands to sit. She immediately understood what was happening by the noises.

"Onii-sama?" She called sleepily.

Suzaku was taken aback to see the immediate result of her voice on the Brittanian's face. He smiled such a big, real smile when he looked up to the staircase that Suzaku felt captivated by the sight of it.

"Here, Nunally. Good morning!" Lelouch greeted her.

"Good morning, Onii-sama!" Came her chirping voice.

"I am cleaning the house, Nunally, so please wait for me until I finish removing these things out."

Nunally felt a warmth in her chest; Lelouch sounded much more energetic and happy than he had been last night.

"Okay, Onii-sama, I will rest a bit more." She answered as she lowered herself on the futon.

"Do you need anything, Nunally?" He asked, slowly moving away from the work he had been doing, ready to go to her.

"No, I am alright, Onii-sama, thank you."

Lelouch hummed to himself as he turned back to the work at hand, but not without casting a brief glance back at his silent companion as if remembering that he was not alone.

When his eyes met with those of the Kururugi boy's, they quickly lost their initial shine of happiness, assuming an adult's serious gaze, Lelouch caught the surprised face of the kid, tinted with something like admiration. The Japanese boy quickly turned back to his work, yet if his eyes didn't play a trick on Lelouch, he could swear that the boy seemed flushed. Out of blue, he felt his own cheeks heat up, too.

Nunally listened to the noises coming from the first floor. At first she didn't catch it, but a few minutes later she realized another pair of foot steps echoing around with her brother's. The heavy breathing sounds were weird, too.

"Onii-sama, are we not alone?" She asked hesitantly.

Lelouch side glanced at Suzaku, unable to suppress a small smile.

"No... In fact, we have got our first house guest, Nunally." He answered back. Yes, the boy was definitely blushing and his movements became awkward. Lelouch felt a small satisfaction in seeing him like this.

Suzaku felt his chest tighten with an emotion he couldn't understand. He had beaten this kid yesterday, and this same boy now was calling him their first house guest... The smile he caught on his face was not hostile or humiliating either. If anything, it was that of a friendly rival's challenge. So Suzaku raised his head and spoke up.

"I... um... I am that boy from yesterday." He confessed.

A small gasp of surprise and fear was heard from above. Quickly understanding the cause of it, Suzaku raised his hands as if in assurance and continued.

"Please don't worry... I am not here to disturb or hurt any of you... Actually, I am trying to help with the cleaning."

Nunally raised herself on her elbows.

"Really?" She asked in a voice that held a hesitant hope.

"Yes, really." Suzaku answered back. "So maybe... well... Maybe you could forgive me for what I did yesterday..." He glanced back at Lelouch who was watching the exchange with a straight face. Lelouch held the other boy's gaze and then lowered his eyes to the box they were carrying.

Suzaku quickly understood what it meant; the Brittanian was accepting his apology silently by letting him help in doing this. Suzaku smiled and willed away another blush, feeling utterly stupid for coloring this quickly and frequently just because of this violet eyed boy.

"I am so glad, thank you..." Nunally smiled. So this was why his brother sounded more hopeful and happy earlier.

As Nunally continued to listen to the sounds coming below, the boys started to talk to each other as if they were waiting for someone to break the ice. Lelouch was, as usual, controlling everything that was being done, sometimes telling Suzaku what to do that sounded like orders.

"No, push it here, not there..."

"Okay, okay... But, why don't you keep this here? You could use it."

"It is too old, can't you see? Every piece of it is moth-eaten."

"Hmm, but I used to like it."

"But it is rubbish..."

"Hah! You should have seen it when it was new!"

"You want us to itch ourselves to death? It must be full of bedbugs."

"Bedbugs would be disappointed to have a skinny host like you."

"Oh, not everyone of us are pocket Hercules like you, sorry..."

The other boy's amused snicker made Nunally feel relaxed, since it prevented the small banter from escalating into a heated argument.

Among the sweeping and dragging noises, the whoshing sounds of the wet mops, and the clinking of the buckets, the boys seemed to have forgotten Nunally's presence as they continued to banter as if they knew each other for years.

"You should add some detergent in it, you know... Here, put some."

"Bahhh, this is not detergent, it is poison! How old is this thing?"

"I guess, half of my age. But it froths all the same. See?"

"Don't breathe the smell in, you'll get poisoned."

"A box of detergent can't take me out."

"Don't blame me when you need CPR, because I won't do it."

"Silly."

"Says the mini Hercules..."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Meticulous."

Listening to them was somehow soothing for Nunally and she smiled and giggled silently. She even forgot about the hunger she felt as she tuned herself to the energy and familiarity the two boys shared downstairs. She could feel the sun on her skin coming from the window on the roof and she enjoyed the warmth.

The sun was at its highest point when the two boys finished their work. Now they had a shiny kitchen island, its sink all white, the cupboard above it and under the stairs spotless, the cutlery, plates and glasses all brilliant, the staircase still wet after the through cleaning it received. The room was more illuminated now that the two windows were rubbed clean and the floor was now bare but at least spotless.

Lelouch climbed the stairs with a big smile on his face and helped Nunally to get changed. As she was tending to herself in the bathroom, he folded the futons and put away the pillows. The only thing left was the upstairs but there was nothing to move or dispose of. It only needed a sweeping and mopping, he believed he could do it alone, though the Kururugi boy was of great help. He didn't think about why he felt so relaxed around him suddenly, yesterday's contempt totally gone from his mind.

When he took Nunally downstairs on his back and placed her on her awaiting chair he looked around with surprise written over his face.

Suzaku had prepared the small table they kept in with plates and forks, opening the parcel he had brought to reveal three boxed lunches for a late breakfast.

"What is it, Onii-sama?" Nunally asked when he ceased movement.

Lelouch held the other boy's green eyes with a heavy feeling in his chest, his face suddenly devoid of the smile he was carrying around.

Suzaku was smiling as he rubbed his hand on his neck nervously. Seeing the broken look on Lelouch's face he suddenly felt out of place as if he had done something wrong.

"A... It's.. It's late but I thought we could eat something together, so I prepared these for you..." He mumbled.

Lelouch bit his lip. Slowly he wheeled her to the table and stopped. Why did he feel weak in the knees suddenly? He had to collect himself. Unable to hide a slight tremor in his voice he introduced the boy to his sister.

"Nunally, meet Kururugi Suzaku, the one who helped me all this while, and brought us our first meal here."

Nunally bit her lip, too. She knew what her brother meant. The introduction was something akin to accepting the boy, making him a stranger no more. She understood how thankful her brother had to be feeling, ready to forget the incident of yesterday, tucking it away as past. So she extended a trembling hand which was held quickly by a slightly surprised Suzaku.

"I am thankful for these, Suzaku-kun."

Suzaku sheepishly smiled, "I hope you'll like them, since I prepared them for you."

"I am sure they are all wonderful." Nunally smiled brightly, she could feel the tremors running up and down in her brother's body by the hand holding her shoulder as if for seeking support.

"Thanks, Suzaku." Lelouch extended his hand, and it was Suzaku's turn to bit his lip as he grabbed the violet eyed boy's pale hand, giving a firm shake to it.

"I thank _you_, Lelouch, for letting me join."

And they smiled at each other. Sensing the happy atmosphere, Nunally clapped her hands.

"Our first meal, with our first guest... Today started so wonderfully, didn't it, Onii-sama?"

As Lelouch sat down with Suzaku to start eating, he sighed to himself, chest full of indescribable feelings. This boy... This boy could never understand what this small gesture of his made to Lelouch's heart. He blinked away his tears and looked at him thankfully.

Suzaku brought his clasped hands together before him as he lowered his head in a small prayer.

"May everyday be this wonderful."

Nunally nodded, her voice full of new found hope. "And together, ne, Suzaku-kun, Onii-sama?"

"Ah... Together, Nunally... Yes, together..."

And Lelouch and Suzaku shared a small smile which spoke of a future without needing the words.

-

_TBC..._


End file.
